


He Didn't Have to Be

by sarahbeara2010



Category: Justin Bieber (Musician)
Genre: F/M, Father/Son, Love, Marriage, Mother/Son, Other, Songfic, single mom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-29
Updated: 2014-01-29
Packaged: 2018-01-10 12:05:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1159545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarahbeara2010/pseuds/sarahbeara2010
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Looking back, all I can say about all the things he did for me is, 'I hope I'm at least half the dad that he didn't have to be.'"</p><p>***Based on the song 'He Didn't Have to Be,' by Brad Paisley.***</p>
            </blockquote>





	He Didn't Have to Be

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own the song or any of the characters.
> 
> Also, contrary to how it may appear, I am not attempting to insinuate anything negative about Pattie Mallette or Jeremy Bieber.
> 
> Please don't hesitate to let me know what you think!! Thanks for reading!! ")

_When a single mom goes out on a date with somebody new, it always winds up feeling more like a job interview. My mama used to wonder if she'd ever meet someone who wouldn't find out about me and then turn around and run._

I watched my mom stand in front of the bathroom mirror, running a brush through her long, brown hair. When she was satisfied with her efforts, she set the brush aside and reached for a tube of bright red lipstick. I knew that lipstick all too well; it was her "date night lipstick." She had always said that that lipstick gave her confidence...and according to her, confidence was exactly what she needed during her quest to find me a daddy.

It was a quest that seemed never-ending. Well, actually, there were plenty of endings involved. But they were never happy ones.

She would come waltzing up to me, pull me onto her lap, and tell me about some guy that one of her friends had set her up on a date with. She would cheerfully chatter about how handsome, nice, and great he was and how he would be coming over at such-and-such time to pick her up and take her to eat at this restaurant or to see that movie.

"Just think, sweetie," she would say as she bounced me up and down on her knee, an optimistic smile on her face and a hopeful gleam in her eyes. "When you meet this guy, you could be meeting your daddy!"

At first, I had been just as optimistic and hopeful as she had been. But eventually, I reached the point where it was all just an act. I may have only been four years old, but I was smart. I was smart because I was so observant. I had seen what always happened...and I had seen how these scenarios always, _always_ ended.

They would go out on their first date. Then, there would be a second date. Then, a third.

And then...my mom would tell them all the same thing. "I think it's time for you to get to know Justin."

After that, there were no more dates. There was no more optimism; no more hope.

There was only, "Look, Pattie...I just don't think I'm cut out for a ready-made family." There was only my mom, left broken and lonely with her dreams of her baby boy finally having a daddy shattered at her feet.

She would cry herself to sleep that night. I knew this as I watched her finish getting ready and stroll into the entryway with me close behind, then flash me an excited smile as the doorbell rang, signaling that he was here to pick her up for their third date.

"Be a good boy for Grandma and Grandpa, okay, sweetie? I'll make sure to be home before you go to bed. I love you." She knelt down in front of me, smiling into my eyes as she reached up to ruffle my hair.

I wanted to cry. I wanted to throw my arms around her neck and beg her to stay home. I wanted to protect her from getting her heart broken again. I wanted to tell her that she didn't need to keep doing this to herself; that I didn't need a daddy because I already had the best mommy in the whole world.

But I didn't. I just smiled, nodded, and hugged her. "Okay, Mommy. I love you, too."

And then, she was gone.

She returned home before I went to bed. I was sitting on the couch watching TV with my grandparents...which was what I always did while she was out on her dates.

Without even taking my eyes off of the television screen, I could see her face. Let down. Broken. Hurt. But somehow, still trying to appear strong; to hide the fact that anything had happened. It was the same face after every third date.

"Didn't it go well, sweetie?" my grandma asked as she took in my mom's facial expression. She knew as well as I did what had happened, but she always acted like she didn't...nor did she ever try to talk my mother out of going on more dates.I guess she was like me; she knew that finding me a daddy was something my mom wanted so desperately that any words would be useless. My mom was a stubborn woman when she really wanted to be. When she put her mind to something, there was no changing it.

"Yeah," my mom responded, her voice doing that same little cracking thing as she smiled weakly. "It went fine. He's just not daddy material. But that's okay, because someday, we'll find someone who is...won't we, Justin?"

She said that as she walked over and lifted me into her arms. I could practically feel the sadness radiating off of her body as she held me close. No matter how routine it was, that sadness was something that I never completely got used to...and it never failed to hurt me every time.

Feeling my little heart break into pieces for her, I nodded against her shoulder as I wrapped my own arms around her tightly. "Yeah, Mommy, we will," I replied, kissing her cheek.

We then said goodnight to my grandparents before she carried me up the stairs to my bedroom. We said our prayers, she tucked me in, and then, it was lights out and door closed.

Her bedroom was right next to mine, and the walls in the house were quite thin. I could hear everything. The sound of her door closing. The sounds of her getting ready for bed and crawling between her covers.

Then came the sound of her crying.

I hated that sound. It broke my heart in a way that nothing else had ever even come close to breaking it.

I always wanted to go comfort her when I heard that sound; to snuggle up in her bed with her and hug her as tightly as my little arms could squeeze until she stopped crying and slept peacefully. But I never did. I knew that my mom wouldn't have wanted me to see her like that. She never wanted anyone to see her like that. That was why she always waited until she was in the darkness of her bedroom before she let the tears fall.

After what seemed like an eternity, those tears would finally stop falling. I would know then that she was asleep. And then...only then...would I allow myself to drift off to sleep as well.

_I met the man I call my dad when I was five years old. He took my mom out to a movie, and for once, I got to go._

Six months later--about two weeks after my fifth birthday--that red lipstick was gliding across her lips again.

Grandma had arranged for her to go out on a date with the "lovely" new doctor at her optometrist's office. She described him as a tall, good-looking man with a kind heart who was very enthusiastic upon finding out that my mother had me.

Of course, Mom was immediately smitten with the idea of going on the date. She seemed even more optimistic and hopeful about this time than she had any other time in the past...and for the first time in quite a while, I myself was experiencing those feelings in an actually authentic way.

When the doorbell rang, that hope and optimism reached a level that it had never before met--not even the very first night that a gentleman caller had arrived to collect my mother.

"Hey!" enthusiastically said the man on the other side of the door when my mom opened it. "I'm Scott; better known as Scooter."

"Hello, I'm Pattie. Well, actually, I'm Patricia...and just better known as Pattie," my mom laughed in response. She held out her hand for him to shake--the way that all of the others usually did--but instead, he gathered her into a hug.

"I hope you don't mind, but I come from a long line of huggers," he explained with a laugh once the two of them had parted.

"Oh, no, I don't mind at all!" Mom chuckled, and I could tell that she was surprised and delighted by his greeting. "I'm from a hugging family myself. It's nice to finally meet someone else who is!"

"It's also very nice to meet you, Pattie. Where's the little guy? What did your mom say his name was...Justin?"

"Yeah, that's his name," Mom replied, and I could hear bewilderment in her voice. None of her other suitors had ever asked to be introduced to me so quickly; truth be told, they really hadn't shown any interest in meeting me at all.

The befuddlement I heard was clear on her face as she turned and looked over to where I sat at the bottom of the stairs, which was where I always sat to see her off. "Justin, honey, could you come over here?"

Feeling quite baffled myself, I rose to my feet and made my way over to the door, where I was greeted by an excited smile from Scooter.

"Hey, buddy! It's really nice to meet you!" he said, kneeling down so that he could be eye-level with me before hugging me the way that he had done my mom. "Your grandma has told me a lot about you. In fact, she said your fifth birthday was two weeks ago, is that right?"

"Yes, sir." I nodded, smiling proudly. I had been so excited to turn five. Finally, telling my age required the use of a whole hand.

"Well, happy belated birthday, bud! Five years old is a great age to be; you'll see."

He paused for a moment, looking thoughtful before his eyes lit up. "Hey, I have an idea! Why don't you come with us tonight? It'll be like a whole second birthday celebration!"

I gasped at that, feeling my eyes light up with the smile that immediately spread onto my face. "Can I, Mom?" I asked eagerly, looking up to her for approval.

"Well...of _course_ you can," she said, sounding shocked as she looked at Scooter with wide eyes. "Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked him. "I mean...don't feel like you have to if it's not really what you want to do."

"Are you kidding?" Scooter replied like her suggestion was the craziest thing he had ever heard. "The more, the merrier! Have you guys seen 'Toy Story 2' yet?"

A bit too shell-shocked to respond verbally, my mom and I merely shook our heads.

"You are kidding!" Scooter answered in astonishment. "Have you at least seen number one?"

Again, we provided no verbal response; just nodded our heads with slight smiles on our faces.

"Excellent!" Scooter grinned widely. "So, what do you say we hit up number two? Then, we can grab a bite to eat, if you guys want."

"That would be awesome!" I cheered. Immediately after, however, I felt a pang  of guilt hit my heart. "But...are you really sure you want me to go?"

"Of course, buddy!" Scooter flashed me a giant, reassuring smile. "If it's okay with your mom, I'd like to get to know you as well as her."

"Yes, it's...fine," Mom chuckled, obviously flabbergasted. "Thank you so much!"

"Don't mention it!" Scooter dismissed the matter with a wave of his hand. "Now, why don't you go tell your parents they can just relax for the night? Justin, do you want to come on out to the car with me? Wait until you see it; it's a purple Mercedes."

"A purple Mercedes? Wow!" I exclaimed, running out the door. Sure enough, my little eyes were met by the coolest car that I had ever seen. "Woah!"

"Wow...nice wheels!" my mom laughed in awe when she joined Scooter and me in the driveway. "Oh, and by the way, my parents said to thank you for giving them the night off. They also insist you come in later, if that's okay with you."

"Of course!" Scooter immediately gave an emphatic nod and an excited smile. "I've heard a lot of really good things about your mom; she's a favorite patient of Dr. Miller's. I'm excited to see her again and to meet your dad."

All throughout that night, Mom and I were on Cloud Nine. Scooter was a wonderful man--funny, intelligent, and as sweet as could be. He was genuinely interested in getting to know both of us and my grandparents as well.

I liked the way Scooter and my mom looked next to each other. Normally, I wasn't thrilled to see any guy around her; for reasons I could never put my finger on, they just didn't quite look like they belonged there. Scooter, on the other hand, looked all too natural...and I looked forward to seeing him there on many more occasions.

_A few months later, I remember lying there in bed. I overhead him pop the question, and I prayed that she'd say yes._

Three months later, Scooter was still around...and he was showing absolutely no intentions of going anywhere at all. He proudly introduced us to his family and close friends and was eager to meet everyone that my mom introduced him to. Thankfully, we all got along amazingly well; his parents were quick to treat me as if I were their own grandchild. My grandparents, of course, didn't mind sharing, and I didn't mind gaining another set of grandparents to love on and spoil me.

Scooter treated my mother like she was a princess. Well, actually, I don't feel like that's a really accurate description of what he did. A better way of saying it would be that he treated my mother like she was a _queen_. He never let one day pass without letting her know how beautiful she was and how much he loved her. Being mature adults, they weren't really big on PDA, but he always made sure that whenever they were out in public together, everyone who saw them could tell that she was his lady...and that he was prouder of her than any words could ever describe.

For as long as I could remember, my mom had always been a happy woman (with the exception, of course, of her hatred of the fact that her little boy had no father figure in his life and the worries that came along with that and the disappointment that came with her repeated failures at rectifying that problem). Obviously, being a single mother was not exactly ideal--and certainly not what she had ever imagined for her life--but in spite of all of the difficulties that she faced, my mom had a wonderful attitude and a very optimistic outlook on life. When Scooter showed up, I witnessed that happiness and optimism grow even stronger. It made my mother even more incredibly beautiful than she already was...and that was one of my favorite things about Scooter.

I woke up in the middle of the night once and found myself unable to go back to sleep. After tossing and turning for a while, I decided to go downstairs for a drink of water. Walking out of my room, I was surprised to find my mom's bedroom door open. It was always closed whenever she was in for the night...and normally, she was in not very long after I was.

As I tiptoed toward the bottom of the stairs, it became very clear to me where my mother was. I could hear soft laughter--which I recognized as belonging to my mom and Scooter--coming from the living room. I found this surprising as well; Scooter had seemed as if he planned on leaving once my mom returned from tucking me into bed. Pausing on the bottom step, I pricked up my ears, curious about what was going on in the next room.

"It's three o' clock in the morning," Scooter laughed, sounding as if he were in disbelief. "I can't believe I've kept you up all night! Why didn't you smack me and shove me out the door?"

"As if I care that I've been up all night!" my mother giggled in response. "I know this is going to make me sound like some little love-struck teenager, but I've actually really enjoyed staying up all night with you."

"Well, it's good to know that I'm not the only one who has enjoyed it," Scooter chuckled. "It has certainly been a wonderful evening."

"That, it has," my mother agreed, and I could hear her beaming. "But then again, evenings with you are always wonderful."

"Trust me, they're _nothing_ compared to evenings with you," he answered. "And I know that sounds incredibly cheesy, but I seriously mean it."

"You're such a sweetheart." My mom's sigh was followed by a soft smacking sound that I knew must have been a kiss.

"Well, I don't know about that," Scooter snickered. "But I do know that I am the luckiest man alive to have found you. You and Jusitn are definitely what I consider two of my most amazing blessings."

"You've been an outstanding blessing to us as well," my mom responded. "The way you've basically treated him as your own...I can't even begin to tell you how much that means to me. You're the first man who has ever been willing to do that."

"Well, all of those other men are _seriously_ missing out," Scooter said in reply. "Justin's a great kid. I love spending time with him."

"He loves spending time with you, too," my mom said, and even though the two of them obviously couldn't see me, I found myself smiling and nodding my head in agreement. "You've been such an excellent father figure to him. And all these years, that's all I've ever wanted for him. I mean, my dad has been great with him, but...he's his grandpa. Little boys need an actual father figure."

"Actually..." Scooter paused, clearing his throat. "Little boys need more than just a father _figure_. They need an actual _father_."

There was silence for a few moments before my mom's voice softly spoke up. "What...what are you saying right now?"

"I'm saying that I want to be Justin's father, Pattie."

My jaw practically hit the floor when I heard those words leave Scooter's lips. I clasped my hands over my mouth so that I wouldn't follow my first instinct...which was to let out the happiest, most joyful scream ever made by mankind.

"You...you...what?" my mom was obviously in complete shock at what she was hearing. "I'm sorry...did I hear you right?"

"You heard me perfectly," Scooter replied matter-of-factly. "I had planned on doing this a bit more romantically, but...I really feel like right now is the perfect time to do it. I didn't bring the ring with me, but I promise I'll give it to you tomorrow night...or, technically, tonight."

There was silence for a few more moments.

"Ring?" my mom squeaked.

"Ring," Scooter responded with a laugh. "Patricia Elizabeth Mallette..."

At this point, I couldn't help myself. I crept over to the doorway, making sure to stay out of the faint glow that the lamp next to the living room couch was spilling into the entryway. Peeking into the room, I witnessed Scooter get off of the couch and kneel before my mom on the floor, taking her hands in his own while she stared at him in shock.

"I love you," he told her in a gentle tone of voice. "I love you and your son more than I can even begin to explain. The two of you are exactly what I feel like has been missing from my life all these years...and the two of you are exactly what I want going forward."

My mom provided no verbal response, just sort of nodded. I could see tears glistening in her eyes as they remained locked on Scooter, who chuckled slightly at her before continuing to speak.

"Pattie...will you marry me?"

It was the question that I had dreamt of Scooter asking my mom since our very first night with him. I couldn't believe that it was finally happening...and that I was actually getting to see it happen.

 _Dear God, thank You for waking me up,_ I silently prayed. _I know You know how much I've wanted this, and I know You know how happy I am to get to watch it. Now, I just want her to say yes._ Please _God, let her say yes._

"Yes." My mother finally found her voice just as the tears began to cascade down her cheeks while she nodded her head wildly. "Yes, I'll marry you!"

"Really? Wow, thank you so much!" Scooter immediately swept her into his arms, holding onto her tightly and placing a giant kiss on her forehead. "I love you!"

"I love you, too!" my mom was crying tears of joy as she held tightly to Scooter, her face lit up with a radiant smile. "Oh, my gosh, this is so exciting! I can't believe we're actually going to get married! I can't wait to tell Justin!"

"Let's take him to dinner with us," Scooter suggested enthusiastically. "That way, he can be there when you get your ring, and I can invite him to be my best man in the wedding."

"Your best...your best man?" my mom gasped, looking shocked. "Scooter, are you sure?"

"I wouldn't feel right if it was anyone else," Scooter answered without hesitation. "After all, he's the most important man in your life, and he always will be."

"Oh, my..." Mom trailed off, and I could tell that she was on the verge of breaking down into another fit of happy tears. Sure enough, my suspicions were confirmed not even three seconds later as she hugged Scooter's neck and kissed his cheek. "I love you so much!"

"And I love you."

As the two of them continued hugging and kissing, I smiled and quietly crept back up the stairs. Obviously, I had originally intended the trip down to include a glass of water, but it had suddenly become impossible for me to think about my previous thirst.

After all, who needed a glass of water when you had just gained the best daddy in the whole wide world?

_And then, all of a sudden, oh, this seemed so strange to me--how we went from "something's missing" to a family._

Scooter and my mother were married five months later in a beautiful church ceremony with all of their family and close friends present. I stood proudly at the altar next to Scooter...and I've got to say, both of us looked pretty darn spiffy in our matching tuxes. My mom looked absolutely radiant in her flowing white dress and cried with happiness as she walked down the aisle to meet her future husband.

The day after they returned from their honeymoon, they began the process of having me legally adopted by Scooter. Because my biological father had been out of contact with my mom since before I was born and had never even met me, no consent from him was needed, which my mother was definitely thankful for. Three months and somewhere around $1,000 later, Scooter officially became my daddy.

_Looking back, all I can say about all the things he did for me is, "I hope I'm at least half the dad that he didn't have to be."_

You might think that suddenly becoming a father to a five-year-old boy would be kind of a tough adjustment to make. However, this could not have been any less true for Scooter. If there was ever anything in his life that came naturally to him, it was being a dad--and an absolutely _outstanding_ one, at that. He excelled at all of the things a good daddy is supposed to do--from playing catch in the back yard to providing counseling on how to ask a lady out for a first date.

All my life, I looked at Scooter as a hero. And all my life, I prayed that when the time came for me to be a daddy to my own children, I would be at least _half_ as amazing as the daddy that this wonderful man had chosen to be.

_I met the girl that's now my wife about three years ago. We had the perfect marriage, but we wanted something more._

When I was twenty-two years old and in my last year of college, I went to a party with friends...and was introduced to the love of my life. Selena Marie Gomez was a raven-haired beauty with a heart of gold, and I was immediately charmed by her sparkling personality and dazzling sense of humor.

We spent three amazing months as each other's best friend before evolving into more. Not long after our college graduation, she did me the unbelievable honor of changing her name to Selena Marie Braun. Our marriage was just about as perfect as could be. We were both lucky enough to get great jobs and be able to buy a cozy little house in a nice part of town.

When it all came down to it, Selena and I had everything that we had ever dreamed of having. Except for one thing.

_Now, here I stand, surrounded by our family and friends, crowded 'round the nursery window as they bring the baby in._

Today, that changed. Today, we acquired the one and only thing that we felt could have made our already wonderful lives even more amazing.

"We have a baby!" I announce triumphantly as I burst into the waiting room, which is filled with members of our family and close friends. "He's on his way to the nursery right now!"

As they all happily chatter about how excited they are to see him, everyone quickly crowds around the window looking into the nursery, eagerly awaiting the first glimpse of our little man.

"That's him." I grin broadly as a cheerful nurse wheels in a tiny little creature swaddled in a blue blanket. Upon seeing all of us crowded around the window, she removes him from his plastic bassinet, steps closer and lifts one of the baby's tiny little hands to make him appear as if he is waving at everybody. "Brantley Scott Braun."

"He's a handsome little dude; that's for sure." Next to me, my dad beams at his grandson--and, obviously, namesake--before turning his eyes in my direction. "Congratulations, man. How's Selena?"

"She's doing great," I respond, my heart practically bursting due to how incredibly proud I am of my wife. "She handled the labor and delivery really well, and she's excited to get to hold Brantley and see all of you guys."

"Well, I know I speak for all of us when I say that we're excited to see her, too." Dad smiles, patting me on the back. "I'm really proud of you two, Justin. Both of you have accomplished a lot, and I know you're going to continue to accomplish great things and be wonderful parents.

_And now, all of a sudden, oh, this seems so strange to me--how we've gone from "something's missing" to a family._

"Thanks; that means a lot," I respond, smiling at him before returning my attention to my son, who is screeching his lungs out to express his displeasure with being put into a diaper. "It still feels kind of surreal that we're actually qualified to be referred to as parents. But at the same time, it just feels purely amazing...because we finally have everything we've ever dreamed of."

I pause for a moment before laughing slightly and looking back at my dad. "Did that even make any sense at all?"

"Yeah, it did." Dad chuckles as well, his hand patting my back once more. "I know exactly what you mean. Becoming a dad made me feel the same way."

_Looking through the glass, I think about the man that's standing next to me. And I hope I'm at least half the dad that he didn't have to be._

As I turn my eyes back to my son, they are growing misty with tears. I've never doubted that Scooter has loved me as if I were his own son since practically the very first moment he found out about me.

But now...as I gaze through the glass at my own son...the true depth of that love is absolutely crystal clear in a way that it has never been before. It overwhelms me to realize that every ounce of adoration and affection that I am currently experiencing for Brantley--the little boy that I helped create--is exactly the way that Scooter has felt about me--the little boy that someone else walked away from.

I didn't have Scooter's last name throughout the first five years of my life. I don't look anything like him (according to my mom, I actually look a lot like Jeremy, my biological father). Obviously, the blood that runs through my veins is not his blood.

But even in spite of all of those things--the things that sent all of the other men running for the hills--Scooter has been the most amazing dad anyone could ever have.

I can only hope that I am able to give my little man a father that is at least _half_ as amazing as the one that mine never had to be.

 


End file.
